Cops Corner: Sarasota

Nov. 5
A WAY HOME
12:48 a.m. — 1800 block Morrill Street. Suspicious Person. While on patrol an officer noticed an elderly man standing on the sidewalk. The man said he was lost. The officer transported the man to the behavior health home where he lived, and a staff member advised that the man was missing, but it had not been reported to the police department yet.

SUSPICIOUS SQUATTERS
1:30 p.m. — 2800 Bay Street. Code Enforcement. Police were called about squatters living at a home. An officer arrived and met with a man who claimed he is renting the home from a leasing company, but the officer was unable to locate such a business. Neighbors were also unaware of any management company working on the home. The house was formerly owned by a homeowner who let the house go into foreclosure. The officer requested the assistance of code enforcement to remove the man and his friends and to board up the home, if possible.

UNDER PRESSURE
4:30 p.m. — 900 block N. Tamiami Trail. Theft. A company that was pressure cleaning a building left some of its equipment on the roof overnight because they were coming back to finish the work. When workers returned, several ropes, D rings and other tools were missing. Another contractor was also working on the roof. Police said they would look into watching a surveillance video to see if anything suspicious could be seen.

Nov. 6
SIGN LANGUAGE
7:55 a.m. — Orange Avenue and Mound Street. Suspicious Panhandling. A police officer observed a woman standing at the street corner holding a sign that read, “Homeless, rent is due.” The woman told the officer that she is unable to get a job, has no ID, her husband has passed away and at this time she is unable to get any income from the state. The officer told the woman she had to move along, and she left on her own.

UNHAPPY HALLOWEEN
3 p.m. — 1700 block Morrill Street. Petit Theft. A man came to police headquarters to report his bike was stolen on Halloween. The bike was locked when it was stolen. The owner of the bike waited to come into the police department when he did because he had been looking for the serial number and finally found it.

CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE?
8:33 p.m. — 2100 block Wood Street. Suspicious Person. A resident was watching TV in his apartment when someone came to his window and “started talking like a cat.” At first, the man thought it was his wife. But when she did not enter the room a few seconds later, he went outside to check the area. The resident noticed a male in a white striped polo shirt stumbling around the complex. Officers canvassed the area but could not find anyone who matched the description.